Overload release drive and inching means



A ug. 25, 1959 J. slMPsoN 2,900,842

ovERLoADRELE/Isl: DRIVE AND INCHING MEANS originalFiled Aug. s, 1955 s sheets-sheet 1 n I N VEN TOR n ./Jm Jim/afan,

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AU8- 25, 1959 J. slMPsoN 2,900,842

OVERLOAD RELESE DRIVE AND INCHING MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 (alli/@IW "milf 6:9 5h if',

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ATTORNEYS Aug. 25, 1959 J. slMPsoN 2,900,842

OVERLOAD RELEASE DRIVE AND INCHING MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3, 1955 y El.

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lNvENToR JMZL dmpfen ATTORNEYS United States Patent O OVERLOAD RELEASE DRIVE AND INCHING MEANS Justin Simpson, Elmhurst, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York,`N.Y.\, a corporation of New York Original application August 3, 1955, Serial No. 526,197. and this application May 13, 1957, Serial No.

6 Claims. (Cl. 74-625)` This application is a division of my U.S. application, Ser. No. 526,197, tiled August 3, 1955, and entitled Crown Cap Lining Machine. While the present invention is intended primarily for use with such a machine, it is equally applicable to motorA driven machines for other purposes. t

The present invention has aimed to provide a novel assembly of elements including inching means for slowly operating the machine drive shaftby hand when testing or making adjustments, switch means for stopping the machine driving motor, and means prohibiting engagement of the inching means with the drive shaft until said switch means has been opened. t i

A further object has -been to provide a novel assembly including an overload clutch for driving the drive shaft, a motor stopping switch so associated with an element of said clutch as tobe opened when clutch disengagement occurs, manually releasable means for normally locking the inching means in idle position, and means for opening the aforesaid switch whenever said locking means is released.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an enlarged vertical section partly in elevation, showing primarily the drive shaft, the overload clutch for driving said drive shaft, the` inching means, and the switch and lock associated with said clutch and said inching means.

Figure la is a fragmentary edge view showing the drivi ing and kick out roller of the clutch and associated elements of Figure 1.

Figure 2 Lis an enlarged fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, showing the switch and lock associated with the inching shaft and an element of `the overload clutch, the switch actuator being in switch open position and the lock in operative position.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 2 with the drive shaft in section, as indicated byline 16-16 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the lock released and the switch actuator again in switch open position.`

Figure 5 is a perspective View of theinching shaft lock and the coasting switch actuator. ,l

While the construction of the machine with which the present invention has been disclosed, is fully illustrated in the parent application above mentioned, sufficient illustration of that construction has been included in Fig. l to disclose the preferred application of the invention.

Upon a portion 4 of a base 1, a housing 39 is secured. At the upper end of this housing is a feed turret 20 carried by the upper end of a shaft 20a which is rotatably mounted in said housing. The shaft 20a is provided with a spur gear 20bfor driving the machine; and said shaft is provided also with a worm gear 20c. A drive shaft 2 26, for the entire machine, has a worm 27 meshing with the worm gear 20c, said drive shaft being mounted in bearings l57 at the ends of a housing 58 carried by the housing 39'.` An overload release clutch 28 and a belt and pulley drive 2 9 are provided for transmitting motion from an electric motor (not shown) to the drive shaft 26.

The above mentioned clutch 28 for driving the drive shaft 26, is of a type which will automatically kick-out or disengage upon overload and said clutch includes a sleeve V49 surrounding said drive shaft 26 and shiftable toward the outer end of the latter when clutch disengage ment occurs. This shifting is utilized to open a motor stopping switch 50 for the driving motor. This switch 50 is mounted upon an arched bracket 51 which is secured at 52 to a longitudinally channeled bracket arm 53, said arm 53 underlying the outerl end portion of the drive shaft 26 and uppermost pulley 54 of the belt and pulley drive 29. The inner end of the arm 53 is rigidly secured at `55 to the base 40 of the feed turret supporting housing 39, and said inner end of said arm 53 is provided with a housing 56 for the pulley 54 and the clutch 28 of the drive shaft 26.

Some clarifying statements with regard to the clutch 28 may be made before proceeding further. This clutch embodies a drive plate secured to the pulley 54 and having a radial groove l81 facing the sleeve 49. This sleeve 49 is splined or slidably keyed at 82 to the drive shaft 26 and carries a driving and kick out roller 83 which is normally held in the groove 81 of the drive plate 80 by spring means 84 which presses said sleeve 49 toward said drive plate 80. In case of overload, the roller 83 is forced from the groove 81, thereby sliding the sleeve 49 to cause opening of the moto-r stopping switch 50 as above explained. As the other elements of the clutch 28 have obvious functions, further explanation is unnecessary.

The outer end of the bracket arm 53 is provided with a bearing 59 spaced from and axially aligned with the outer end of the drive shaft 26. An inching shaft 60 having` a hand wheel 61 is rotatable and slidable in the bearing 59. The adjacent ends of the two shafts 26 and 60 have cooperable clutch elements `62 and `63 for connecting the inching shaft 60 with the drive shaft 26, as seen in Figure 4, when said drive shaft is to be turned slowly by hand in setting the machine, making adjustments, etc. In order to engage the clutch element 63 of the inching shaft with the element 62 of the drive shaft 26, it is necessary to slide the former shaft toward the latter (compare Figures 2 and 4). A lock is provided, however, for prohibiting this sliding while the switch 50 is in closed position, thereby overcoming any possibility of the machine being accidentally driven by power While using the inching means.

The inching means. lock is shown in the form of an arm 64 seen best in Figures 2 to 5 although appearing also in Figure 1. This arm 64 underlies the arched bracket 51 and extends longitudinally over the clutch elements 62 and 63. One end of this arm 64 has a hub 65 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 66 carried by lugs 67 of the bracket 51. The other end of the arm` 64 has a locking Anose `68 and a releasing handle 69. The clutch element 63 of the inching shaft 6,0 has a peripheral groove 70 which receives the nose 68` to lock the inching shaft 60 inidle position, said` groove and nosehaving shoulder portions 71 and 72,which then abut each other as seen in Figures 1 and 2. The locking arm 64 must be swung upwardly in order to release the inching shaft 60 for engagement with the drive shaft 26. This upward swinging opens the switch 50` due to construction now to be described.

A vertical actuatinglever 73 is provided for the switch 50, said lever being fulcrumed between its ends on the pin 66 at one side of the locking arm 64. The lower end 74 of the lever 73 is biased toward the outer end of the sleeve 49 of the clutch 23 by means of a spring 75 which connects said lever 73 with the bracket 51, and a stop screw 76 limits the.v movement of Vsaid leverV '713 under the influences of said spring 75. The upperend of the lever 73 carries a switchoperating screw I77 which normally holds the switch 50 in closed position. If the clutch 2S disengages under the influence of overload, the sleeve 49 rocks the lever 73 from the position of Figure 1 to that of Figure 2, allowing the switch 50 to open and stop the motor.

The lever 73 and locking arm 64 are provided with cooperable abutments 78 and 79 which transmit movement from said arm 64 to said lever 73 (Figure 4) to cause opening of theswitch 50 when said arm` 64 is swung to'released position to allow engagement of the inching shaft 60 with the drive shaft 26. As long as the inching shaft is connected with the drive shaft 26, the locking arm 64 rests on the clutch element 63 as shown in Figure 4. The abutments 78 and 79 then hold the lever 73 in its switch open position. The machinemotor cannot therefore be inadvertently operated while the inching means is engaged with the drive shaft 26. The lever carried abutment 73 merely moves away from the arm carried. abutment 79 (Figure 2) when the lever 73 is ,operated by the sleeve 49 of the clutch 28, and the locking arm 64 therefore remains in locking position.

It will be seen from` the foregoing explanation that the inching shaft ed'cannot be connected with the drive shaft 26 while the motor switch 50 is in closed position and that an important safety factor is thus provided.

I claim:

l. ln a motor driven machine having (l) a drive shaft, (2) a clutch for `driving said drive shaft, said clutch being constructed to automatically disengageupon. overload, and (3) inching means manually connectable with said drive shaft for rotating the latter by hand when. desired; a normally closed machine-stopping switch Voperatively associated with an element ofV said clutch and operable to be opened thereby upon clutch disengagement, manu ally releasable locking meansV normally preventing connection of said inching means with said drive shaft, and means Vpermitting closing of vsaid machine-stopping switch and normal clutch operation when said drive shaft is power driven and operable by release of said vlocking means for opening said machine stopping switch to permit only manual rotation of said drive shaft by said inching means. l

2. In a motor driven machine having (l) a drive shaft, (2) a driving clutch for driving `saicl drive shaft, said clutch being of overload release type and having a shiftable element which automatically receives movement when clutch release occurs, and (3) normally idle hand operable means manually connectable with said drive shaft forv rotating the latter rby hand when desired; a normally closed machine stopping switch having actuating means operatively associated with said shiftable element to be move-d by the latter to switch open position and permit normal clutch operation, normally applied manually releasable locking means for said hand operable means, and connecting means between said switch actuating means and said locking means to permit independent and combined operation of the same, this connecting means being constructed to move said switch actuating means to switch opening 'position when said locking means is released by hand and permitting only manual rotation of said drive shaft by said inching means.

3. A stnucture as specified in vrclaim 2, said switch actuating means comprising a lever having one end in the path of said shiftable elementto be moved to switch open position by the latter, said locking means comprising an varm pivotally mounted near said lever, said connecting means comprising coacting abutments on said lever and arm, said :abutlnents cooperating to Yswing said lever to switch open position when said arm is swung to released position.,V y n f4. A structure as specified in claim2; said switch actuating means comprising a lever having one end in the path of said shiftable element to be moved to switch open position, by the ,latter,sad locking means comprising an arm pivotally mounted coaxially with said lever and near the latter, said connecting means comprising coacting abutments on said. lever Iand, arm to swing said lever to switch open position when said arm is swung to released position;

5. A structure as specified in claim 2; said switch actuating means comprising a lever having, one end in the path of said shiftable element to be moved to switch open position by thelatter, said locking means comprising an arm pivotally mounted coaxially with said lever and nea-r the latter, said connecting ymeans comprising coacting abutments on said lever and armto swing said lever to switch open position when said arm is swung to released.

position, said leve-r being substantially perpendicular to said drive shaft, said arm being substantially unidirectional with said drive shaft.

6. In a motor driven machine having (l) ,a drive shaft, (2) la driving clutch for lsaid drive shaft, said clutch being lof overload release type and having a shiftable element which `automatically receives movement when clutch release occurs, and (3) a manually rotatable and axially shiftable inching shaft `coaxial with one end of said drive shaft for rotating theV latter by hand when desired, said shaftsv having coacting clutch elements interengageable `by inward shifting of said inching shaft; a fixed support near said clutch elements, a norm-ally closed machine stopping switch mounted on said support, alever fulcrumed between its yendson said support and having one end co-V operatively related withsaid shiftable element to be moved by the latter, the otherend of said lever being cooperatively related with said switch to open the latter when said lever is'movedl by said shiftable-element, a locking arm pivotedto said support coaxially with the fulcrum of said lever, said locking arm having a shoulder norv m'ally abutting the clutch elementof said inching shaft shoulder from said clutch elementl of said inching shaft,

this clutch element and said locking arm having coacting portions which hold said locking arm in its switch open positionwhen this same element is engaged fwith the clutch element of the drive shaft.

RieferenvcesCited inthe Ele of this patentv UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,932,362 Haivorsen oa; 24, 1933 2,151,493 Acker 1 Mar. 21, 1939 2,391,418 Hodgson et Dec. 25, 1945 

